Eye For An Eye
by SilverCrystal029
Summary: Sango agrees to be Naraku's new soldier of death in exchange for Kohaku's life. Can her friends keep her from throwing her life away? MirSan InuKag
1. Don't Follow

Kagome followed close on the dejected Sango's heels fearing for her state of mind. Kirara nipped at their heels, anxious for her owner and long time friend. Shippo hid in Kagome's inky mane. The tension in the air was sign enough that he should keep quiet. Both men hung back, hurting for Sango and unsure of how to aid her. This was how it always was after they encountered her kid brother, usually with destroyed lives in tow. It was becoming far too much for Sango; that much was clear. After watching Kohaku be forced to commit atrocity after atrocity. Any person's resolve would be straining under such a burden.

Inuyasha kept to himself, citrus colored eyes cast to the ground. He prided himself on being intuitive. He spent a lot of time with all of his travel partners and could tell all about them. The way Sango was acting was alarming but also familiar. She had a thousand yard stare he'd seen on occasion. Her mind was working some somber plot. Her steps were disconnected, as if she was barely plotted to the earth. Briefly she had chased after her sibling and been left alone with Naraku. The last time that had happened she'd stolen Tessiaga. _'What did he proposition you with now?' _Inuyasha was dying to know but he couldn't just _ask_ her.

Miroku plodded beside him, violate eyes fixed on the back of the demon slayer. He was fearful for his future wife and lover. The toll Kohaku was taking on her grew larger with time. He feared that if she didn't claim her brother back he would lose her. Forever. To lose anything else to Naraku was not an option. He felt his grip on his staff tighten until his hand grew numb. Sheepishly, he relaxed his hand.

Finally, Kagome broke the miles-long silence and peered into her friend's face. "Sango-chan, you must be tired. You did sustain some injuries earlier. Why don't we make camp?" The sweetness of Kagome's voice made her want to sob. She turned to Kagome and smiled but her eyes did not. Kagome shivered.

"I am not tired, Kagome-chan. But I understand if you are tired and wish to rest." Kagome opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. Sango walked a little further beyond her, Kirara mewling in concern.

"Sango!"

She turned slightly to match eyes with a worried Miroku. "Please, take a rest. We are all exhausted both physically and emotionally. A rest would do you good." His sentence started out level and calm but he couldn't keep the pleading edge from seeping into his voice. He was deeply worried. Shippo pushed away curtains of Kagome's dark hair and took his chance to speak.

"Yeah, Sango. You rest. I''ll go with Kirara and catch something good just for you to eat!" Shippo offered, a worried excitement entering his eyes. Sango smiled but it was hollow.

"Please, don't worry over me..."

It was Inuyasha who pushed past Miroku. His eyes were flaming with concern but it wouldn't keep him from getting to the bottom of what he had to know. "Sango." His voice was rough as he stalked forward, only a few yards away from the tajiya. Miroku's mouth pressed into a grim line._'Please, Inuyasha. Now is not the time for your insensitivity. Normally, you know this.'_ He thought to himself. Kagome too was edging near the strangely agitated hanyou.

Sango stared fearlessly into amber eyes who looked back. They flinched slightly as he pressed on. "Sango, I can only ask this once. What did Naraku say to you?" His voice was surprisingly level as he spoke. He prompted a horrified face from Kagome.

"_Inuyasha!_" She cried shrilly in reprimand. For once, he ignored her.

"You know it and I know it, Sango. Fool me once maybe, but I'll be damned if I let you rush off recklessly to Naraku on account of your brother." Sango's hazel eyes narrowed for the first time as she faced Inuyasha completely.

"Your intentions are well but I don't th-" Inuyasha held up a hand to silence the monk who felt his own temper rising.

"It wasn't your _staff_ she stole. Besides, she almost died. On several occasions. Call it tough love but if you're thinking about rushing off to an early death I'm gonna stop you." Inuyasha whipped out his mighty sword to prove a point. "By any means necessary." Now Shippo was crying out in protest.

"Stop it, Inuyasha! How could you be so mean to Sango after what she's been through!" He piped from Kagome's shoulder. "Yeah, Inuyasha! Tone it down." Kagome warned.

Miroku was behind the hanyou and his drawn sword, eyes burning in his direction. "_Inuyasha._" He stared unflinchingly at Sango. She almost smirked as she grabbed on to her weapon and lobbed it with ease at the hanyou._ 'Inuyasha knows me even better than I thought.'_ He deflected the bone weapon with some difficulty to his left. Quickly, Sango ran into it's new path of trajectory and caught it with relative ease. The pair stared each other down for a long moment.

"Why are they fighting like this?!" Shippo questioned aloud. Kagome frowned, deeply concerned for her friends. Miroku took a tense spot next to Kagome, watching the pair carefully.

"Maybe this is Inuyasha's way." He began slowly. Shippo and Kagome both turned curious looks to him. "We all sense Sango's mourning. We all feel bad but are unsure of how to help. Inuyasha wants to help her by sparring, so she'll blow off steam." he explained, his brow still furrowed in knots.

Kagome and Shippo thought for a moment before uttering "Ahh.." uncomfortably. "Maybe." Shippo answered after a while. "But you might be giving Inuyasha too much credit."

Sango slammed her bone weapon closely against Tessiaga, glaring into the hanyou's golden eyes. "Inuyasha-" she breathed, adjusting her grip on the weapon. He grunted once in response. "When I fought that bear demon... At Takeda's castle. By myself- Do you remember?" Inuyasha shifted as well, attempting to parry the heavy weapon. His shoulders snapped in a shrug.

"Yeah, I guess. You kicked it's ass 'cause you were mad at Miroku. What else is new?" Sango smiled to herself.

"You told me there was nobody in the world who could beat me that day..." Sango quickly snapped Tessiaga out of his grip. She gave him a morose smile as she jumped.

"I'll always remember your compliment, Inuyasha." His posture straightened into a non-defensive one as he eyes his tajiya friend strangely.

"Always... Remember?" Sango settled the bone boomerang on her back and tried to to smile towards Kagome and the fox kit.

"Thank you, for everything. I'm... Sorry." Before either could protest she turned and ran, hoarsely calling for her cat demon. She turned from the monk just as he saw her tears, prompting him to run after her.

Kagome watched helplessly after the two as Inuyasha landed at her side. "What did Sango mean? Inuyasha, where is she going?" He scooped Kagome up after effortlessly and darted after them.

"I don't know... She's not herself."

* * *

Sango ran for a long time until her breath was erupting out of her in painful bursts. Kirara, though confused, stood loyally at her feet and waited for new directions. It didn't take much longer for Miroku to catch up to her, panting as well. "Sango-"

"I was hoping you wouldn't follow." She said with a mirthless smile. He panted for a moment in concern.

"But you had to have known I would. Sango-"

"Forgive me!" Sango's voice broke at that moment and she was finally reconsidering her choice. He approached her with shaking hands, turning her to face him.

"Sango please, tell me what's going on. Let me_ help_ you." She turned away from him, the ache in his voice sinking deep in her chest.

"Miroku.. I'm sorry. I can't marry you."

The declaration was not enough to wear away the monk's resolve. He gripped her tighter, violet eyes blazing. "Nonsense." She shuddered, pushing away from him.

"Miroku, I-" he followed after her, his eyes pained.

"Sango, do-" He was surprised to find her wrist blade activated, swiping dangerously close to him as she jumped back.

"Kirara." She called firmly. With a sorrowful yowl the hellcat obliged with transformation. Miroku watched Sango in distraught confusion. "Miroku. Don't follow me..."

"Sango, don't. Don't go." She smiled, flicking a tear out of her eyes.

"Listen to me. If you see me again do not hesitate to kill me." He watched in disbelief of what he was hearing. "And most importantly... Take care of him." They were gone in a wave of flames. In the sky where he could not follow. Feeling sick, Miroku leaned on his staff as his whole body trembled. Inuyasha and Kagome appeared just moments after, looking for traces of the demon slayer.

"Miroku, wh-"

"We have to find them." Miroku croaked, turning glossy eyes to the trio.

"Miroku..." Kagome uttered worriedly. She felt Inuyasha tense underneath her.

"She ran off?" Inuyasha deduced, anxiety evident in his voice. Miroku shook his head in congruence.

"We must find her. The way she was acting, the things that she said..." Miroku shut his eyes and clenched his fists, moisture gathering in the corner of tired eyes. "I haven't seen that look on her face since she prepared to kill her brother... And then herself."


	2. Tooth For A Tooth

Inuyasha took big strides, running carefully with Kagome in his arms and Miroku upon his back. "Sango was smart." He murmured glumly. "Her scent trail is useless if she's flying on Kirara... It's as good as guess work." he admitted. Kagome shifted worriedly in his arms, chocolate eyes looking at his strained face.

"Don't worry." She replied in a small voice. "We'll find her, we have to." Kagome heard Inuyasha swallow in response. She watched the trees fly by them. It was seldom she saw Inuyasha so serious and grave. She tried to peer around him to see how the monk was doing. She couldn't get a glimpse but she imagined not good.

Miroku had a steel grip on Inuyasha's shoulders, violet eyes prying the sky. _'Sango... Hang on for all of us. For me.'_

Inuyasha cursed to himself. The scent of Miroku's fear and anxiety was enough to drive him mad. "I should've known she was up to something crazy. I should've done something-" Inuyasha stopped when he felt Kagome's comforting hands on his chest.

"This isn't your fault, Inuyasha. It's nobody's fault." She said quietly. Inuyasha sent her a thankful look as she continued on. All were surprised when Miroku spoke.

"This has been a bomb waiting to go off for a long time. The pressure has been rising until of course she broke. There was nothing any of us could do about it, except maybe free Kohaku." Inuyasha tossed him a worried glance.

"Yeah, 'Gome's right. Naraku's wanted this since the start, I just.. I hope she hasn't done anything stupid."

They were silent for a long moment. "But do you really think she would go through with it? Even if you hadn't stopped her, Inuyasha?" Shippo questioned innocently. He recalled the unpleasant memory of keeping Sango from killing her brother.

"I just don't know, Shippo."

"But Miroku!" Kagome exclaimed after thinking a moment. She clutched tightly to Inuyasha's haori. "You said she said... Sorry. Not to follow her and to take care of _'him'_. Kohaku, right?" Miroku nodded before offering a quiet 'Mhm'. "So, then she isn't going to kill him-"

"She's going to offer her life to Naraku's for his. Kami, help us..." Miroku finished, his hands coming together to offer a prayer. _'Please, Sango. Don't do it.'_

* * *

Sango clutched the handle on her hiraikotsu as she glared at Naraku. In the back of her mind she kept mulling over the possibility that this was a trap. A way to separate the demon slayer from her comrades and take her out. Sango thought to the corrosive salve she kept hidden under shields. If he wanted to kill her she'd take him down with her, or at least do enough damage so it'd be an easy kill. Her sienna eyes were locked on Naraku's smug ones, his puppet Kagawaki body sitting on a large throne like chair. Finally, he broke the thick silence. "So, I take it you accepted my offer?"

His voice was smooth, sending ripples of shivers down the tajiya's spine. "Of course. Else I would've struck you already." Naraku enjoyed the note of venom and disdain in her voice. The tajiya, _almost_ the last of her people, had caused a lot of problems for the diabolical hanyou. He shifted, cold eyes looking over the demon slayer. Cornered, like a rabid animal. He snapped and Kagura appeared from the shadows. She seemed unnerved, waiting for an order or a command.

"Fetch the boy." Swallowing slightly, Kagura disappeared into the depths of Naraku's lair.

Sango's fingers drummed against the hard bone of her weapon. _'Should he renege he doesn't understand the full capabilities of my wrath...'_ Her stomach tumbled inside. This whole ordeal could just cause a lot of trouble as it had before.

_Naraku's hands hovered over the boy's shoulders as though in a warm gesture. The sight made Sango sick. "It's simple, really..." he droned, eyes narrowing smugly. "A life for a life. An eye for an eye; give yourself to me. Submit to a jewel shard. Become my angel of death and the boy goes free. If not to torture you then he has no purpose for me." he explained nonchalantly. Sango twitched at the audacity of such an offer._

_"Kikyo grows weaker every day. Two shards, one in the boy and one in you are not a whole lot to sacrifice. Not if I can have you at my disposal." He pointed at her lithe figure. Sango glared, her face stone and stoic. "The boy served me well but you could serve me even better. You were engineered to destroy, Sango. I can take it all away... The pain, the guilt, the memories..."_

_"SANGO!" Inuyasha and company had appeared, he wasted no time swinging his mighty sword at the fellow hanyou. Naraku escaped with ease as usual, dark eyes twinkling ever so slightly in Sango's direction. 'I've hooked her.'_

"Let him go." Sango demanded as Kagura walked the lifeless boy in the room. He sneered.

"Do you submit your life to me and my will?" Sango stood completely. Kirara mewled pitifully, pushing her forehead against her leg. Sango felt her fist tighten involuntarily.

"_Yes._" Naraku cackled, a strong laugh booming out of him. With a snap, Kohaku fell to his knees. His eyes were no longer vacant; they were scared, hurt, and confused. He stared at the ground, his dirty hands and then finally, his sister.

"S-Sango... Sango! Get out of here, you have to go-" Kagura restrained him with ease, her head turned away from him.

Naraku gestured ahead. "Take him. Take him directly to her gang as promised. Take the hell cat along. But first-" Naraku rose from his chair, jewel shard glittering in his hand. "Cut her along her back." Kohaku's eyes widened in fear and disgust. He remembered it all. Slaughtering his family. The lives he destroyed. All the times he had hurt Sango. He reached for her desperately as Kagura tossed him aside.

"NO! SANGO, DON'T!"

Kagura hesitated if only for a millisecond, weary to believe the demon slayer had truly submitted to Naraku's will. She didn't even cry out as her fan left a gash along her back. She sank to her knees in defeat. Kohaku scrambled to his feet but Kagura intercepted him. "Come." was all she said, reaching for her feather.

"SANGO!"

Sango turned a pained but heartfelt smile to her little brother as Naraku approached. "Little brother..." She said, her eyes soft. "Please, stay away from here. Accept my gift of life. Please live... And forgive me." Before he could see anymore Kirara and Kohaku were lifted into the sky, piloted on a feather by Kagura.

Kohaku looked to the shrinking ground in horror as she flew them away. Kirara yowled in sorrow. Sango had explicitly told her to leave her side and watch over Kohaku. She laid beside him, her head dipped in misery. Kohaku just watched, unsure of what had transpired and what to do. He thought, his mind frantically searching for a solution. "Don't think about jumping." Kagura's uncharacteristically flat voice advised.

His face screwed in a rage he ran to her, seizing her shoulders tightly and shaking with rage. "How could you?! You just... You just..." Kagura turned to the boy with surprisingly empathetic, red eyes. "You have your memories, kid. I don't have a say in this matter. Besides-" She turned ahead of her, staring off into the distance with glossy eyes. "Sango made that decision. Nobody made it for her." Kohaku slumped to sit on his feet, becoming numb as the realization hit him.

Hands grabbing tufts of the feather, he sobbed helplessly. "I-I'll find my way back there! I won't let her go through what I went through..." Kagura faced him, her face angry.

"Don't waste your life! She all but gave hers up, for_ you_!" Kohaku turned from her. "She did that because she cares enough. There are those who fight for life and have nobody fighting along with us." Kohaku looked up to see Kagura staring wistfully at the ground. "If he has control of her and you flee right back there he'll just pit you two against each other... That's exactly what he wants."

"Kagura..." Her red eyes flicked to him as the feather began to descend. "I found them. You're with Inuyasha now, not with me. I don't know what Naraku's next orders will be so don't act like we've ever been comrades..." Kohaku frowned._ 'Kagura... What are you going to do?'_ They landed shakily on the ground and all three leapt off. Everyone else was in awe of the fact Kagura had floated in front of them with Kohaku and Kirara in tow.

Miroku slid fluidly off Inuyasha's back, staff held tightly. Inuyasha set Kagome down and advanced in front of all of them, sword already drawn. Kagura held up her fan defensively. "I'm not here to fight." She said tiredly. She watched as they froze. She gripped tight onto Kohaku's shoulder and shoved him forward. He spilled onto the ground in a heap before Inuyasha. Quickly, Kagome knelt at the dumbstruck boy's side. "There. A deal's a deal. He's no longer our problem anymore."

_'Just what we figured...'_ Inuyasha thought to himself, fists tightening. "Kohaku, wait!" Kagome reached after the boy who ran immediately after Kagura. He clutched on to her robes and pulled his face close, trembling with sobs. "Kagura, don't! Take me back, don't leave Sango there!" He broke down immediately into sobs that Kagura couldn't face. She patted the boys hand gently.

"Kohaku, I can't be your friend anymore. They are. If I make my own choices I'll die. I can't save you. She can." She wrenched the boy's wrist from her kimono and threw her feather into the sky. She didn't look back as the ground disappeared, her eyes strangely misty. _'Take care of that boy...'_

They watched in silence as Kohaku sobbed and cursed. He punched the ground, ripping at grass and flinging dirt. Wordlessly, Miroku walked around everyone and knelt with the boy, violet eyes cast to the ground. In one motion he leaned the boy onto his shoulder, whose sobbed increased in volume and intensity. "We're going to get her back." was all he said. Kohaku cried until he couldn't cry anymore. Then he fell into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
